Summary of our epic tale...
Over the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk there once ruled a
wise and powerful but tyrannical king named Gilgamesh. He was two-thirds a god
and one-third a mortal, famed for his exploits in war and for his prowess as an
unbeatable wrestler. Gilgamesh was also lustful and he would abduct any woman
who took his fancy whether she was single or married. The people of Uruk were
greatly distressed at this, for no one could overcome Gilgamesh. So they prayed
to the goddess Aruru to fashion a man who could overpower Gilgamesh in order
that he would leave their women in peace.
Aruru then created the mighty Enkidu, a hairy man with
legs like a bull. Enkidu roamed with the wild beasts and enabled them to escape
the traps of hunters. On hearing of Enkidu's strength, Gilgamesh sent a
courtesan out to Enkidu's watering place to entice him. When she saw Enkidu the
courtesan disrobed, exposing her breasts, and Enkidu went to lie with her. After
this his animal companions shunned him because Enkidu had lost his natural
innocence. Enkidu then had nothing to do but follow the courtesan's advice and
return with her to Uruk.
Back in his palace Gilgamesh dreamed of struggling with a
powerful man who could master him. When he told the dream to his mother, Ninsun,
she said it meant that he and Enkidu would become close companions. And after an
awesome wrestling match Gilgamesh and Enkidu sat down together as friends.
Enkidu was invited to live in the palace and share the honors with
Gilgamesh.
One night Enkidu had a nightmare in which he was snatched
up by a strange, terrible creature with eagle claws who cast him into the
underworld of death. When Gilgamesh heard of the dream he offered a sacrifice to
Shamash, the sun god, who advised him to go and fight Khumbaba the Strong, the
king of the Cedar Mountain. When they learned of his plan to go to the Cedar
Mountain, Enkidu, Ninsun, and the people of Uruk tried to dissuade Gilgamesh, to
no avail. Gilgamesh was determined to make the long, arduous journey and battle
Khumbaba, so Enkidu joined his friend and the two set forth.
They traveled northwest, leaving their fertile land
behind, crossing a vast desert, reaching the Amanus Mountains, and finally
arriving at the resplendent Cedar Mountain and the stockade of the monster
Khumbaba. Enkidu's heart quailed within him, but Gilgamesh issued a challenge to
Khumbaba. No answer came, so they made a sacrifice to the gods and settled down
for the night. During the night Gilgamesh had a dream of victory. In the morning
Khumbaba charged them, and after a terrific fight Gilgamesh was able to knock
Khumbaba to the ground, where Enkidu cut his head off. With the monster dead,
Gilgamesh was able to cut down the sacred cedars for the temples of Uruk.
The two heroes bathed, dressed, and made offerings to the
gods. Then Ishtar appeared to Gilgamesh and tried to seduce him, but he spurned
her, saying that her lovers usually had dire fates. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu
returned to Uruk with the cedars Ishtar had her vengeance planned. With the help
of Anu she loosed the Bull of Heaven against Uruk. In the course of wrecking the
city the bull was caught and slaughtered by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Then in an act
of utter rashness Enkidu threw the bull's hide in Ishtar's face, telling her
he'd do the same to her if he could. The goddess Ishtar then laid a mortal curse
upon Enkidu and after twelve days of sickness he died.
Gilgamesh was inconsolable over the death of his friend,
for he realized that he must die one day as well. Determined to find the secret
of immortality, Gilgamesh went forth in search of Uta-Napishtim, the man on whom
Enlil had conferred life everlasting. He traveled west to the far-off Mount
Mashu, which was guarded by Scorpion-Men. With a trembling heart Gilgamesh
approached the chief Scorpion-Man, who permitted him passage into the mountain.
After a long time in a tunnel he stepped out into the garden of a goddess. The
goddess advised Gilgamesh to return home, enjoy life, and accept death
gracefully; but Gilgamesh was insistent on finding Uta-Napishtim, so the goddess
directed him to Uta-Napishtim's boatman. The boatman warned of the turbulent
waters of death that surrounded Uta-Napishtim's dwelling. However, Gilgamesh
would not be put off, and with the boatman's help he managed to cross the
perilous waters. At last Gilgamesh arrived at the home of the immortal man.
When Gilgamesh told Uta-Napishtim of his quest for
eternal life, Uta-Napishtim laughed at his foolishness and told his own story of
how he had won immortality. Then Uta-Napishtim challenged Gilgamesh to stay
awake, as he himself had done, for six days and seven nights. But the exhausted
Gilgamesh had already fallen asleep.
The wife of Uta-Napishtim took pity on the sleeping hero
and persuaded her husband to reveal the secret of immortality. They awoke
Gilgamesh and told him of a prickly plant that lay at the bottom of the sea.
Gilgamesh set off at once to find the plant, and when he came to the ocean edge
he tied boulders to his feet and plunged in. He sank to the bottom, found and
plucked the prickly plant, untied the boulders and swam to the surface with the
precious plant. Gilgamesh went homeward with a high heart, for now he could
confer everlasting life on himself and the people of Uruk. He crossed the waters
of death, the garden of the goddess; he went through Mount Mashu and traveled
eastward.
Within a few day's journey of home Gilgamesh laid the
plant on a rock and dove into a small lake to bathe. And while he was swimming a
snake approached the plant and ate it. Gilgamesh wept long and bitterly to think
he had wasted his enormous effort to gain eternal life. The snakes would live
forever, but human beings must die. Gilgamesh returned to Uruk with a broken
heart. He knew what a miserable existence the dead lived in the netherworld, for
Enkidu had revealed it to him. His only consolation was that the walls of Uruk
would outlast him as monuments to Gilgamesh's reign.
(Summary courtesy Cliff Notes)
wise and powerful but tyrannical king named Gilgamesh. He was two-thirds a god
and one-third a mortal, famed for his exploits in war and for his prowess as an
unbeatable wrestler. Gilgamesh was also lustful and he would abduct any woman
who took his fancy whether she was single or married. The people of Uruk were
greatly distressed at this, for no one could overcome Gilgamesh. So they prayed
to the goddess Aruru to fashion a man who could overpower Gilgamesh in order
that he would leave their women in peace.
Aruru then created the mighty Enkidu, a hairy man with
legs like a bull. Enkidu roamed with the wild beasts and enabled them to escape
the traps of hunters. On hearing of Enkidu's strength, Gilgamesh sent a
courtesan out to Enkidu's watering place to entice him. When she saw Enkidu the
courtesan disrobed, exposing her breasts, and Enkidu went to lie with her. After
this his animal companions shunned him because Enkidu had lost his natural
innocence. Enkidu then had nothing to do but follow the courtesan's advice and
return with her to Uruk.
Back in his palace Gilgamesh dreamed of struggling with a
powerful man who could master him. When he told the dream to his mother, Ninsun,
she said it meant that he and Enkidu would become close companions. And after an
awesome wrestling match Gilgamesh and Enkidu sat down together as friends.
Enkidu was invited to live in the palace and share the honors with
Gilgamesh.
One night Enkidu had a nightmare in which he was snatched
up by a strange, terrible creature with eagle claws who cast him into the
underworld of death. When Gilgamesh heard of the dream he offered a sacrifice to
Shamash, the sun god, who advised him to go and fight Khumbaba the Strong, the
king of the Cedar Mountain. When they learned of his plan to go to the Cedar
Mountain, Enkidu, Ninsun, and the people of Uruk tried to dissuade Gilgamesh, to
no avail. Gilgamesh was determined to make the long, arduous journey and battle
Khumbaba, so Enkidu joined his friend and the two set forth.
They traveled northwest, leaving their fertile land
behind, crossing a vast desert, reaching the Amanus Mountains, and finally
arriving at the resplendent Cedar Mountain and the stockade of the monster
Khumbaba. Enkidu's heart quailed within him, but Gilgamesh issued a challenge to
Khumbaba. No answer came, so they made a sacrifice to the gods and settled down
for the night. During the night Gilgamesh had a dream of victory. In the morning
Khumbaba charged them, and after a terrific fight Gilgamesh was able to knock
Khumbaba to the ground, where Enkidu cut his head off. With the monster dead,
Gilgamesh was able to cut down the sacred cedars for the temples of Uruk.
The two heroes bathed, dressed, and made offerings to the
gods. Then Ishtar appeared to Gilgamesh and tried to seduce him, but he spurned
her, saying that her lovers usually had dire fates. When Gilgamesh and Enkidu
returned to Uruk with the cedars Ishtar had her vengeance planned. With the help
of Anu she loosed the Bull of Heaven against Uruk. In the course of wrecking the
city the bull was caught and slaughtered by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Then in an act
of utter rashness Enkidu threw the bull's hide in Ishtar's face, telling her
he'd do the same to her if he could. The goddess Ishtar then laid a mortal curse
upon Enkidu and after twelve days of sickness he died.
Gilgamesh was inconsolable over the death of his friend,
for he realized that he must die one day as well. Determined to find the secret
of immortality, Gilgamesh went forth in search of Uta-Napishtim, the man on whom
Enlil had conferred life everlasting. He traveled west to the far-off Mount
Mashu, which was guarded by Scorpion-Men. With a trembling heart Gilgamesh
approached the chief Scorpion-Man, who permitted him passage into the mountain.
After a long time in a tunnel he stepped out into the garden of a goddess. The
goddess advised Gilgamesh to return home, enjoy life, and accept death
gracefully; but Gilgamesh was insistent on finding Uta-Napishtim, so the goddess
directed him to Uta-Napishtim's boatman. The boatman warned of the turbulent
waters of death that surrounded Uta-Napishtim's dwelling. However, Gilgamesh
would not be put off, and with the boatman's help he managed to cross the
perilous waters. At last Gilgamesh arrived at the home of the immortal man.
When Gilgamesh told Uta-Napishtim of his quest for
eternal life, Uta-Napishtim laughed at his foolishness and told his own story of
how he had won immortality. Then Uta-Napishtim challenged Gilgamesh to stay
awake, as he himself had done, for six days and seven nights. But the exhausted
Gilgamesh had already fallen asleep.
The wife of Uta-Napishtim took pity on the sleeping hero
and persuaded her husband to reveal the secret of immortality. They awoke
Gilgamesh and told him of a prickly plant that lay at the bottom of the sea.
Gilgamesh set off at once to find the plant, and when he came to the ocean edge
he tied boulders to his feet and plunged in. He sank to the bottom, found and
plucked the prickly plant, untied the boulders and swam to the surface with the
precious plant. Gilgamesh went homeward with a high heart, for now he could
confer everlasting life on himself and the people of Uruk. He crossed the waters
of death, the garden of the goddess; he went through Mount Mashu and traveled
eastward.
Within a few day's journey of home Gilgamesh laid the
plant on a rock and dove into a small lake to bathe. And while he was swimming a
snake approached the plant and ate it. Gilgamesh wept long and bitterly to think
he had wasted his enormous effort to gain eternal life. The snakes would live
forever, but human beings must die. Gilgamesh returned to Uruk with a broken
heart. He knew what a miserable existence the dead lived in the netherworld, for
Enkidu had revealed it to him. His only consolation was that the walls of Uruk
would outlast him as monuments to Gilgamesh's reign.
(Summary courtesy Cliff Notes)